Now Reading: Court lets UP withdraw case against 25 BJP leaders in 2013 riots
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Court lets UP withdraw case against 25 BJP leaders in 2013 riots
A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh has allowed the prosecution to withdraw a case against 25 BJP leaders and Hindu activists, including state minister Kapil Dev Agarwal, former Union minister Sanjeev…
The Story in Brief
A special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh has allowed the prosecution to withdraw a case against 25 BJP leaders and Hindu activists, including state minister Kapil Dev Agarwal, former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan and former minister Suresh Rana. The case related to speeches at a mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar district on July 31, 2013, that allegedly violated prohibitory orders and incited communal tension. The 2013 riots and subsequent violence left more than 60 people dead and displaced over 40,000, official figures show.
LiveMint reports that Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Devendra Kumar Faujdar granted the withdrawal on Wednesday, after the Uttar Pradesh government decided to drop the case. The accused also included former minister Ashok Kataria, former BJP MPs Bhartendu Singh and Sohanvir Singh, and VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi. The prosecution officer confirmed the development.
The Indian Opinion
The withdrawal of a case against 25 BJP leaders and activists for speeches that allegedly incited the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots will read to many Indians as selective justice. The official death count was 60, and 40,000 were displaced. Yet the prosecution itself sought this withdrawal, citing the state government's decision. The key test will be whether the courts also allow withdrawal of cases against Muslim activists accused in the same riots. That number will settle whether this is about peace or about one side being shielded.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
